


Heights I’ve Never Known

by targaryen_melodrama



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, POV Sam Wilson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-01 18:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19183486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/targaryen_melodrama/pseuds/targaryen_melodrama
Summary: “Something’s off with your friend.”“If the files are true,” Nat starts, “and he was brainwashed, then yeah. I’d say there’s a lot wrong with him.”Sam feels like an asshole, but it can’t be that out of a super spy/assassin and the greatest tactical mind of the last century, he’s the only one who’s noticed.





	Heights I’ve Never Known

**Author's Note:**

> There’s a post/fan art (don’t have a link, sorry) on Tumblr where the premise is that Bucky isn’t that tall (5.9 I think?) because 5.9 was tall in 1920s, but isn’t so much anymore because Steve took the serum. This is based on that. 
> 
> Not beta’ed, feel free to point out typos etc.

“Something’s off with your friend.”

It’s only when Sam gets a look from both Steve and Natasha that he realizes he shouldn’t have said it out loud.

“If the files are true,” Nat starts, and Sam can see Steve’s jaw clenching from the back seat of the latest car they “borrowed”—he really should’ve kept his mouth shut, “and he was brainwashed, then yeah. I’d say there’s a lot wrong with him.”

Sam feels like an asshole, but he’s a bit of a dog with a bone (probably why he and Steve are friends), and it can’t be that out of a super spy/assassin and the greatest tactical mind of the last century, he’s the only one who’s noticed.

“Obviously, I didn’t mean _that_. I meant—never mind.”

Sam’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been scared shitless when his steering wheel was ripped out (and even more so when his wing was ripped out), but even then, a few seconds before the Win—Barnes attacked him, something tugged at his brain, and Sam usually trusts his gut.

Natasha’s frowning like _he_ got brainwashed from interacting with Rumlow (not impossible, something might’ve happened to Sam while the asshole was monologuing), and Steve’s eyes look wet, so Sam’s gonna keep the rest to himself.

For now.

***

“If you take a picture it’ll last longer.”

Sam’s feels himself flush ‘cause he’s been caught looking (he doesn’t _stare_ ), but he can’t let Barnes know that.

“We’re using toddler comebacks now?” Sam asks, an eyebrow raised over his shades. “Is that what we’re doing?”

“It’s what you’ve both _been_ doing,” Steve mutters, and really, Steve can’t be the one lecturing them about maturity. If him and his little Avenger friends had been more _mature_ about the Accords, maybe Sam wouldn’t be stuck in a car with Bucky’s knees digging into his back.

“Tell your friend to stop staring at me and we won’t have a problem.”

“Tell him yourself Bucky, Jesus Christ, I’m not your mother.”

“Feels like it sometimes.”

Sam watches two century-old men pout, and curses when realizes he was so close to figuring out what the fuck is wrong with Bucky and their little spat made him forget.

Sam swears he’ll figure it out before they die, or get caught by the government. Whichever one happens first.

***

“Find your own brooding corner,” Sam warns before Bucky’s even reached him.

Sam expects for Bucky to tell him he doesn’t brood. Counts on it, actually. Hopes that the familiar _Do Not, Do Too_ draws him away from watching Riley tumble from the sky again.

Bucky doesn’t listen—when does he ?—and Sam feels him press a cool bottle of water in his hands.

It takes half a minute for Sam to drain the bottle, and another half for him to feel uncomfortable.

“Thanks, Bucky,” he says, because the government can take away his wings, and even his will to live, but they can’t take away his manners. “You don’t have to stick around, though.”

“No,” Bucky agrees, leaning on the railing of the balcony right next to Sam, “I don’t.”

Sam feels it again, now that they’re pressed this close. Something’s off here, and part of him wants to turn to Bucky and ask, but—

Their shoulders are touching, Bucky is warm and strong and _here_ , next to him, and Sam figures it can wait just one more night.

***

It hits him in Wakanda of all places. It’s not the most appropriate time, Sam will admit. Bucky’s in all white scrubs, about to head back into cryo, and it’s a miracle Steve hasn’t cried yet. But one moment Barnes is standing with T’Challa, Shuri and their team of doctors and nurses, the next Steve’s embracing him, and it’s only when Steve lets him go that Sam finally sees it—

Barnes is _short._

Which, of course, he says out loud.

The silence lasts way too long, T’Challa fake cough is ridiculously obvious, and Princess Shuri has her bracelet thingy angled towards them, which means she’s filming them again, and doesn’t even care to be subtle.

“Sam,” Steve says, right as Bucky says, more petulant than Sam’s ever heard Jody be, “Am _not._ ”

“But you really are though.” Sam’s mind briefly flashes back to D.C. and he rolls his eyes. “Can’t believe I was ever scared of you. What are you, 5.8? You can’t be 5.10, my brother’s 5.10 and—”

“I’m 5.9, Wilson, I’ll have you know that where I’m from—”

Sam raises an eyebrow. “This look like 1920s Brooklyn to you? How come the serum made him a foot taller and you just...stayed like this?”

“What do you mean _stayed like this_?”

“Well the way Steve talked about you,” Sam explains, shrugging, “thought you’d be, you know. Tall. As impressive as he made you seem.”

“Steve got mistaken for a child more often than not,” Bucky says, rolling his eyes. “Your fault for not taking things into context.”

“5.9 is...5.9. Context or not.”

“If you’re ready to begin with the procedure, Mr. Barnes,” Doctor Luphumlo gently interrupts, clearing their throat.

Right. The procedure.

“Sure,” Bucky says, and the resolve in his eyes is almost as solid as the tension in the room.

The whole thing looks no different than the few pictures they’d gotten to see from the Hydra files, and Sam’s more uncomfortable than he’d like. Mere seconds after his body is strapped down, Bucky’s eyelids are fluttering closed.

“5.9...5.9 is a pe-perfectly re-respectable height.”

“Hope you can grow a few inches while you rest in that thing.” Sam’s voice is barely shaking.

“Stick around,” Bucky says, his eyes fully closed. “Stick around, you might find out.”

***

“Wilson. Wilson.”

“What?”

They’re in the middle of nowhere—literally nowhere. Thanos had snapped his fingers and they got...taken here. There’s barely any light, any life, and all they can hear is the sound of their own voices. Sam has never been this relieved to hear Bucky’s voice.

“If we get out of here…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m taking you out. To dinner. Some fancy place in midtown, or some hole in the wall place, I don’t know. Or care. But if we make it out…”

“I don’t know,” Sam says as his fingers find Bucky’s and hold on. “Never dated anyone under six feet.”

“I hate you,” Bucky sighs, squeezing Sam’s hand.

“I have my dealbreakers like everyone else,” Sam shrugs. “If we make it out though…”

“Yeah?”

“Might make an exception for you.”

Sam leans his head on Bucky’s shoulder, and when he gets a kiss on his forehead, he thinks there might be one good reason to date Bucky despite his height.

Just the one.

***

Their first date is at Coney Island. Sam can’t really be mad when he gets the stuffed bird Bucky won him thrown at his head after he asks Bucky if he’s tall enough for the rides.

  
  
**End**.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, I am on [Tumblr](http://targaryenmelodrama.tumblr.com) if you wanna drop by!


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